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5 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles During Halloween
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This guide ranks the five best Halloween events Los Angeles puts on in 2026, picked from dozens of haunts, pumpkin trails and street parties across LA County. Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October, so the calendar lines up well: you can build a full week of Halloween activities Los Angeles style around two big Saturdays, 24 October and 31 October. The list opens with Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, then moves to the free West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, a family pumpkin walk at Descanso Gardens, the Día de los Muertos festival at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and the Queen Mary's Dark Harbor in Long Beach.
Each entry lists the exact address, the nearest Metro station or bus stop with walk time, the distance from Downtown Los Angeles (measured from Los Angeles City Hall) and a Pro Tip with concrete times and prices. Three picks sit in a tight Hollywood and West Hollywood cluster linked by the Metro B Line and Metro Bus Line 4. Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge and the Queen Mary in Long Beach are the outliers, and both are easier by car or rideshare after dark.
For routing, spend Saturday 24 October at Hollywood Forever for Día de los Muertos, use weeknights between 26 and 29 October for Halloween Horror Nights and Dark Harbor, when crowds and prices are lower, and save an early evening for Carved with kids. On Saturday 31 October, end the season on Santa Monica Boulevard with roughly 100,000 people in costume.
1Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood - The Biggest Scare Event in Los Angeles
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is the heavyweight of Halloween events in Los Angeles, and the 2026 season runs on 42 select nights from 3 September to 1 November. Gates open at 7 p.m. and the event runs until as late as 2 a.m., with an Early Event Access add-on letting you into select houses from 5:30 p.m. General admission starts at $77 (about €66) on quiet weeknights and climbs to around $107 (about €92) on peak October weekends.
The 2026 line-up has eight haunted houses: Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, Sinners, Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness, Killer Klowns From Outer Space (a Hollywood-only house), and two Hollywood originals, Dead, Deader, Deadest and Killceañera: Music by Slash. The Terror Tram hands the studio backlot to Art the Clown from the Terrifier films for a gory Christmas theme called Every Day Is Artmas, and scare zones include Fortnitemares and El Circo de la Muerte. The Purge: Dangerous Waters stunt show plays in the WaterWorld theatre, and seven rides stay open, including Revenge of the Mummy and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
If you are searching for Halloween Horror Nights Los Angeles tickets, know the tiers before you buy. Universal Express starts at $259 (about €223), Express Unlimited at $299, the Frequent Fear Pass costs $179 for up to 35 nights and the R.I.P. Tour, with a guide, VIP seating, dinner and parking, starts at $479. Saturdays in October bring the longest queues for headline houses such as Stranger Things 5, so the cheaper weeknight dates are also the less stressful ones. The event is not recommended for children under 13.
Pro Tip: Book a Tuesday to Thursday date in late October, arrive at 5:30 p.m. with the $20 Early Event Access add-on and head straight for Stranger Things 5 and Killer Klowns before the main gates open at 7 p.m.
2West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval - The Best Halloween Party in Los Angeles
The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is the biggest free street party in Southern California and the top pick for Halloween parties Los Angeles visitors can join without a ticket. The 2026 edition is set for Saturday 31 October from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., according to Visit West Hollywood, with the party spilling into Rainbow District bars and clubs long after the stages close. Admission is free.
The Carnaval started in 1987 and now draws more than 100,000 people in costume to a one-mile stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard (the historic Route 66) between North Doheny Drive and North La Cienega Boulevard. The main stage sits at Santa Monica Boulevard and North San Vicente Boulevard, with DJs, drag performers and live music spread along the route. Costumes range from quick group looks to elaborate builds that took months, and people-watching is the main event. Security rules are strict: no alcohol on the street, no backpacks and no weapons, including prop weapons, so plan your costume accordingly.
Getting there takes some planning because parking in West Hollywood disappears and streets close from the afternoon. The city runs a free WeHo Halloween Ride shuttle from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. along Santa Monica Boulevard, and select vehicles link to Metro's Hollywood/Highland station on the B Line from 6 p.m. to midnight. Of all the Halloween events Los Angeles hosts, this is the one where rideshare surge pricing hits hardest after 11 p.m. Among Halloween things to do Los Angeles offers for free, nothing else comes close to the scale.
Pro Tip: Arrive by 7 p.m. and enter from the La Cienega end, where crowds are thinner, then walk east toward the San Vicente main stage. Book a bar table on Santa Monica Boulevard in advance if you want a seat after 10 p.m.
3Carved at Descanso Gardens - Family-Friendly Jack-o'-Lantern Trail
Carved at Descanso Gardens is the easiest yes among Halloween events in Los Angeles for family groups, a jack-o'-lantern walk with no scare actors and no mazes. The 2026 run is nightly from 2 October to 1 November, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the 150-acre botanic garden in La Cañada Flintridge, about 30 minutes north of Downtown Los Angeles.
The route winds past hundreds of glowing jack-o'-lanterns, dozens of giant hand-carved pumpkins and lit art installations under the oak canopy. New for 2026 are sculptures by Finnish artist Alexander Reichstein in the garden's labyrinth, his first exhibition in the United States, while Bobolito's Rhizome sculpture has moved to the Oak Grove. On 31 October a trick-or-treat addition turns the walk into a Halloween night outing for younger kids, which makes it one of the best Halloween events in Los Angeles for family plans on the day itself.
Tickets are dated and priced by night. Non-member adults pay $29 to $52 (about €25 to €45) and children $19 to $37, with weekends and the final week of October at the top of the range. Children under 2 go free. A new Anytime Ticket at $85 (about €73) for non-members lets you pick any night during the run, which is useful if weather or tired kids force a change. Parking is free but first come, first served, and the lot fills on Friday and Saturday evenings in late October.
Pro Tip: Book the 6 p.m. entry on a Monday to Wednesday night in early October for the lowest adult price, near $29, and the least crowded paths. Bring a light jacket, as the foothills cool quickly after dark.
4Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever Cemetery - LA's Biggest Day of the Dead Festival
The Día de los Muertos festival at Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the largest Day of the Dead celebration in Los Angeles and a cultural counterweight to the scare-focused picks on this list. The 27th annual edition takes place on Saturday 24 October 2026 from noon to midnight, under the theme "All Under One Sky - Bajo Un Mismo Cielo". Official details are published on ladayofthedead.com.
Hollywood Forever, founded in 1899, is the resting place of Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino and Johnny Ramone, and for one day its lawns fill with dozens of community altars competing for cash prizes of $5,000, $3,500 and $2,500. The programme includes a ceremonial procession, Aztec and folklórico dancers, a children's plaza, art in the cemetery's cathedral mausoleum and a costume competition. The 2026 music line-up on the Muerte y Tradición stage features DannyLux, Trish Toledo, Tropa Magica and Los Shadows, with DJ sets into the night.
Tickets are sold for three entry windows, and you may stay past your window once inside. The noon to 4 p.m. entry costs $35.93 (about €31) including fees, with a kids ticket for ages 5 to 12 at $26.71; the 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. slot is $46.46 (about €40) and the 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. slot is $41.07. Children under 5 enter free, and there are no refunds or exchanges. It is a respectful event rather than a Halloween costume party, so skull face paint is welcome but gory costumes are out of place.
Pro Tip: Take the noon entry, walk the altars before 3 p.m. while the light is good and the lanes are clear, then stay for the procession and headliners. Parking structures on Lemon Grove Avenue and Van Ness Avenue fill by late afternoon.
5Queen Mary Dark Harbor - Haunted Ocean Liner Mazes in Long Beach
The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor in Long Beach turns a 1936 ocean liner into one of the most atmospheric Halloween activities Los Angeles County offers. The 13th season runs on select nights from 18 September to 1 November 2026, from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on most nights and to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with Early Entry and VIP guests admitted from 7 p.m.
The Queen Mary sailed the North Atlantic for three decades before being retired to Long Beach in 1967, and ghost stories about the ship, especially its first-class pool and cabin B340, feed directly into the event. The 2026 season has six mazes, including the new Shipwreck, reimagined versions of Lullaby and Infirmary, and the long-running Voodoo maze. Between mazes you will find themed bars and hidden speakeasies, rides such as the Sinister Swings and new Blacklight Bumper Cars, and paid extras including séances and escape games.
Tickets include fees and vary by night: Sundays start at $47.99 (about €41), weeknights and Fridays are about $61.99 and standard Saturdays $66.99. The peak Saturdays of 10, 17, 24 and 31 October cost $75.99 (about €65). Dark Harbor is recommended for ages 13 and up, and children under 7 are not allowed in the mazes. On-site parking requires a Preferred Parking pass bought in advance, general parking is off site in downtown Long Beach with a guest shuttle, and bags larger than 6 x 6 x 8 inches are refused with no bag check.
Pro Tip: Pick a Sunday for the $47.99 entry and shortest maze lines, arrive around 7 p.m. to clear parking and security, and do Shipwreck first. Book Preferred Parking early if you are driving, as it sells out on October weekends.
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CEO and co-founder
Tomas is the co-founder and director of trip1, an European company specializing in reservation services. He launched the company in 2025 with a focus on building scalable, efficient operations.
5 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles During Halloween - FAQ
No, not in a single day. Halloween Horror Nights and Dark Harbor each fill a full evening, Día de los Muertos is only on 24 October and the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is only on 31 October. Plan on at least four separate evenings. The most you can realistically pair is an early 6 p.m. Carved slot at Descanso Gardens followed by a late Halloween Horror Nights visit, since Universal Studios Hollywood is about 25 minutes away by car.
Start with Carved and end with the Carnaval. Visit Descanso Gardens on an early October weeknight, go to Hollywood Forever for Día de los Muertos on Saturday 24 October, then book Halloween Horror Nights and Dark Harbor for weeknights between 26 and 29 October. Finish on Saturday 31 October on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, which is free and runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Four of the five need tickets, and three sell out. Halloween Horror Nights, Dark Harbor and Carved use dated tickets that sell out on October weekends, so book two to three weeks ahead. Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever uses timed entry windows with no refunds. The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is the only free, unticketed pick, though reserving a bar table nearby is sensible.
Expect about $190 (about €163) per adult at the cheapest. That covers Halloween Horror Nights from $77, Dark Harbor from $47.99 on a Sunday, the noon Día de los Muertos entry at $35.93 and a weeknight Carved ticket at $29, with the Carnaval free. Peak Saturday pricing pushes the total to roughly $280 (about €240) before parking, food and any Express passes.
Yes, it is scheduled for Saturday 31 October 2026. Visit West Hollywood lists the Carnaval from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Santa Monica Boulevard between North Doheny Drive and North La Cienega Boulevard, free to attend. The City of West Hollywood had not published full 2026 stage and shuttle details by late September, so check weho.org or text "halloween" to (323) 848-5000 for updates.
Three of them are, with some planning. Universal Studios Hollywood sits next to Universal City/Studio City station on the Metro B Line, and the Carnaval links to Hollywood/Highland station via the free WeHo Halloween Ride shuttle. Hollywood Forever is on Metro Bus Line 4. Descanso Gardens and the Queen Mary are harder late at night, so rideshare or driving is more practical.
Several strong haunts just missed the list. The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park runs 18 September to 1 November, Knott's Scary Farm in Buena Park has 10 mazes from $69 online, and Halloween Time at Disneyland in Anaheim runs to 31 October. Haunted Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles adds ghost tours and a 21+ Halloween night block party.
